Code violations on historic home upheld

The historic Lou Della Crim home on Longview Street is graced with a Texas Historical Marker and three oil derricks dedicated to her three sons — one of whom was Kilgore's first mayor — but city fathers say they are worried about its future due to lack of maintenance. The council has requested the owner to begin repairs soon in order to bring it up to city code. The owner of an historic Kilgore home must make repairs in a timely manner now that the city council has denied his appeal regarding code violations.

A report to the council from B.J. Owen, director of special services, said the Lou Della Crim home at 201 N. Longview St. needs major repairs to its roof, windows, exterior walls and columns. It also noted the residence is to the point where its condition "constitutes a public nuisance."

John R. "Bobby" Florence Jr., who said he purchased the home in 1971 or 1972, blamed vandals for some of the damage though photos provided by Owen showed considerable deterioration from lack of maintenance.

Built in 1920, the home has a Texas Historical Marker because the second oil well in what became the great East Texas Oil Field was on Crim family land near Leverett's Chapel. The well spudded in on Dec. 28, 1930 was named the "Lou Della Crim No. 1," which literally made its namesake famous worldwide during the height of the Great Depression. Crim's son Malcolm became the city's first mayor after Kilgore was incorporated in 1931.

The home has been unoccupied for many years and Florence countered in letters to the city that "it would only be unsafe for trespassors (sic)."

Randy Renshaw, councilman, said he knew Florence was "attached to this property" but it must be brought up to code and maintained.

"My house is 75 years old and I have to maintain mine," Renshaw said. "This house didn't get in this condition overnight. The city wants you to get it up to code, and not just because it's got an historical marker."

Other councilmen agreed repairs must begin on the home before long. Joe Parker, mayor, added, "We definitely don't want that house torn down," saying it was among his wife's favorite places because of many pleasant memories of visits there.

Jeff Howell, city manager, said safety is a high priority and inspection officials now consider the Crim home unsafe and Owen said it is an "attractive nuisance" since it has a historical marker and oil derricks that draw lookers from near and far.

Florence wrote the city's timelines were "unreasonably quick and demonstrate a lack of knowledge on historical renovation which is the case here... If the city is interested historical preservation as they purport to be, the same codes should not apply to historical properties, when this is one the most for Kilgore."

Florence said he spent money in the 1980s to plug three wells and put up three steel derricks in the front yard, but has more recently been turned down by two banks for loans for repairs.

He provided copies of a letter he had written to National Parks Service's Heritage Preservation Service asking for the home to be placed on the National Register of Historic Homes and one received from the Texas Historical Commission that encouraged him to preserve the building but offered no financial assistance, though it stated Florence could qualify for a 20 percent federal rehabilitation tax credit if the home is "rehabilitated for commercial use, even as a rental property..."

Florence said he hopes to sell another property and use the funds to repair the Crim residence.

The council requested Florence return to its next meeting with a timeline for repairs.

Florence is presently restoring the former American Legion building, which was relocated from U.S. Hwy. 259 the corner of Martin and Lantrip streets. The Texas Historical Marker was erected on the property in 1981 and reads: "This bungalow style residence was constructed in 1920 for Lou Della (Thompson) Crim (b. 1868), on the former site of the Hearne Hotel. The farm she owned at Laird Hill (4 mi. S) was part of an oil exploration project headed by her son Malcolm, later the first Kilgore mayor, and local financier Ed Bateman. Her property gained national attention on Dec. 28, 1930, when the Bateman-Crim Wildcat Well No. 1, the discovery well for this area of the significant East Texas oil field, blew in there. Area Rangers, including the celebrated Capt. M.T. (Lone Wolf ) Gonzaullas, were housed here."